Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hillcrest Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hillcrest

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,472 per month in Mexico City vs $1,320 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,359 per month in Mexico City vs $1,876 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,245 per month in Mexico City vs $2,431 in Hillcrest, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 11% more than Hillcrest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Hillcrest is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$7.78 R 128

68.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$28.38 R 467

88.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.06 R 83.3

84.39%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.91 R 31.48

93.72%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.87 R 14.25

83.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.67 R 11.10

67.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.00 R 32.96

57.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.22 R 36.60

118.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.88 R 14.46

87.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.58 R 9.48

367.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.19 R 19.65

60.50%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.11 R 34.79

22.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$7.23 R 119

35.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.85 R 63.4

118.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$6.19 R 102

92.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.44 R 23.77

104.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.11 R 18.22

56.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.33 R 21.87

53.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.36 R 22.38

51.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.30 R 21.43

65.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.21 R 19.94

86.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.01 R 16.65

37.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.87 R 14.39

28.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.87 R 47.23

47.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$4.85 R 79.8

261.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.47 R 24.22

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.77 R 29.15

105.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.62 R 26.59

-78.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.65 R 27.22

-16.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.59 R 9.71

-52.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$6.75 R 111

-21.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.34 R 22.01

1.49%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$20.4K R 335.5K

-6.27%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$24.4K R 402.0K

-3.33%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$40.53 MX$701

$143 R 2,359

-71.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.38 MX$474

$29.41 R 484

-6.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$33.35 R 549

-8.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$30.76 R 506

69.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.76 R 111

-8.43%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$425 MX$7,355

$207 R 3,406

105.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$4,558 R 75.0K

135.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$42.34 R 697

37.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$30.39 R 500

46.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$95.1 R 1,565

8.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$73.5 R 1,210

47.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$361 R 5,944

180.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$679 R 11.2K

-8.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$684 R 11.3K

209.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$1,127 R 18.5K

8.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$904 R 14.9K

319.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$695 R 11.4K

203.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.01

-5.58%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Hillcrest: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Mexico City versus $361 in Hillcrest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $28.00 in Hillcrest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $155 – making Hillcrest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Hillcrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City, $1,320 in Hillcrest – roughly 11% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,208 per month in Mexico City and $1,980 in Hillcrest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hillcrest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $28.00 in Hillcrest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 90% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hillcrest, where all-in costs run around $1,320, than in Mexico City at $1,472. In Hillcrest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,320 in Hillcrest to $1,472 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Hillcrest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.